Re: Howto: Install Ubuntu without a CD

Originally Posted by mendieta

Also: the unetbootin program downloads some files to the usb device, but then it shows a button to "reboot now". If I press it, nothing happens. If I exit, grub is not modified (the menu.lst). Any ideas ?
Many thanks!

Ok, I looked at the source code, I think I have a clue, hope someone can give me a hand and confirm I am right.

I have two drives:

/dev/sda -> Xandros install on the eeepc internal ssd
/dev/sdb -> an external sdhc where I want to net-install Kubuntu

I want to modify the existing grub in /dev/sda. I am running unetbootin from Xandros (/dev/sda1). In this case I should use a hard drive install and choose "/" as the target, right ? I was choosing "usb" and /dev/sdb, because that's where I will install Kubuntu. But I guess I was wrong, and the disk/partition where you will install your new OS is chosen after you reboot, during the actual install of the new OS, right?

Re: Howto: Install Ubuntu without a CD

Ok, I am trying to install Kubuntu in an eeepc with unetbootin and document it. I had an udev issue:

Code:

vol_id not found. This is required for either install mode.
Install the "udev" package or your distribution's equivalent.

I solved the problem by symlinking:

Code:

sudo ln -s /lib/udev/vol_id /sbin/vol_id

Maybe there is a cleaner solution, like making unetbootin search for vol_id in /lib/udev?

Also: the unetbootin program downloads some files to the usb device, but then it shows a button to "reboot now". If I press it, nothing happens. If I exit, grub is not modified (the menu.lst). Any ideas ?

Many thanks!

Something's wrong with your distribution's PATH. For the first issue, vol_id isn't in your path (I don't search for vol_id specifically in any directory, I use "whereis", which searches for binaries in your PATH, to locate it), and I'd rather not start hardcoding directories for every distribution that doesn't have its PATH set right (though I suppose I could try making an exception for eeepc's Xandros). Could you confirm that the command "whereis vol_id" doesn't return the correct path to the binary?

As for the reboot issue, apparently the command "init" isn't in your PATH either, probably the same issue, since I'm using the standard command "init 6" for rebooting.

Since I don't have an eeepc, could you post where the "init" binary for eeepc is, and could you confirm that running the command "init 6" manually as root doesn't reboot the computer (which is what I'm assuming is causing the reboot issue)?

As for the rest, if I recall correctly, Ubuntu wasn't fully compatible with the stock eeepc, so you'll probably also need to do some hacking around with the wireless to get it to net-install.

Re: Howto: Install Ubuntu without a CD

Ok, I looked at the source code, I think I have a clue, hope someone can give me a hand and confirm I am right.

I have two drives:

/dev/sda -> Xandros install on the eeepc internal ssd
/dev/sdb -> an external sdhc where I want to net-install Kubuntu

I want to modify the existing grub in /dev/sda. I am running unetbootin from Xandros (/dev/sda1). In this case I should use a hard drive install and choose "/" as the target, right ? I was choosing "usb" and /dev/sdb, because that's where I will install Kubuntu. But I guess I was wrong, and the disk/partition where you will install your new OS is chosen after you reboot, during the actual install of the new OS, right?

Graphically, this is what I was doing:

And this is what I should be doing, right?:

Thanks in advance!

Second option is what you want to do. However, I'm not sure whether it'll work, since I don't think the eeepc uses standard GRUB as a bootloader (but then again, I don't have an eeepc so I may be wrong). Additionally, whatever few guides on installing Ubuntu/Fedora/etc on the eeepc I've seen have all recommended making a liveUSB first on another computer, then booting from it on the eeepc, so I think there's a reason behind that, though if you do indeed succeed without using a USB drive, then that's nice to know.

Re: Howto: Install Ubuntu without a CD

Originally Posted by laxinon

i`m trying to install Ubunto with Unetbootin.
the program starts but when at stage 2 (extracting) it stopped responding, this happen at the 7th file extract.
i tried to rerun it but nothing.
i suspect that it has something to do with C++ runtime that is not working properly .
the laptop i`m trying to install on has win XP SP2 but has many buges

The 7th file, filesystem.squashfs, is almost 700 MB. It'll take a while to extract, just be patient. If you need to confirm that it's progressing with the extraction process, just go to wherever it says the destination is, and periodically refresh and check the file properties; the file size should gradually be growing towards 700 MB.

Re: Howto: Install Ubuntu without a CD

Originally Posted by defenestratos

I download the file and make it executable. I double click on it. Nothing happens. Is it because it has no extension? I use 64 bit is that why?

The latest version is statically linked, so technically it should run without any external libraries, but since you're using Ubuntu 64-bit, try installing the package "ia32-libs" (which will give you 32-bit libraries for running 32-bit applications) and try again.

Also try running it from the command line if it doesn't run even with ia32-libs installed.

Also perhaps use the command "chmod +x ./unetbootin-linux-216" prior to running it, in case it wasn't made executable when you tried setting the permissions via the GUI.

Re: Howto: Install Ubuntu without a CD

Originally Posted by tuxcantfly

Something's wrong with your distribution's PATH. For the first issue, vol_id isn't in your path (I don't search for vol_id specifically in any directory, I use "whereis", which searches for binaries in your PATH, to locate it), and I'd rather not start hardcoding directories for every distribution that doesn't have its PATH set right (though I suppose I could try making an exception for eeepc's Xandros). Could you confirm that the command "whereis vol_id" doesn't return the correct path to the binary?

Correct, it doesn't find it (I also tried this manually during my tests, oddly, it only finds the manpage, I had to look at the deb package to locate the binary). I also have mixed feelings about hardcoding stuff. Tough call.

As for the reboot issue, apparently the command "init" isn't in your PATH either, probably the same issue, since I'm using the standard command "init 6" for rebooting.

Since I don't have an eeepc, could you post where the "init" binary for eeepc is, and could you confirm that running the command "init 6" manually as root doesn't reboot the computer (which is what I'm assuming is causing the reboot issue)?

True, it fails with a timeout on /dev/initctl, I tried this too after looking at your code, I just forgot to report, sorry!

As for the rest, if I recall correctly, Ubuntu wasn't fully compatible with the stock eeepc, so you'll probably also need to do some hacking around with the wireless to get it to net-install.

Well, but the eeepc has a built in ethernet card, I should be fine using the wired connection to my home router (which provides dhcp).

Re: Howto: Install Ubuntu without a CD

Originally Posted by tuxcantfly

The latest version is statically linked, so technically it should run without any external libraries.

Yes and no, see my earlier post, it seems to link dynamically against libc6, and require libc6 >=2.4. This means, any distro based on debian etch, including the eeepc's xandro's, will have problems. Oh well!

Re: Howto: Install Ubuntu without a CD

Originally Posted by tuxcantfly

Second option is what you want to do. However, I'm not sure whether it'll work, since I don't think the eeepc uses standard GRUB as a bootloader (but then again, I don't have an eeepc so I may be wrong). Additionally, whatever few guides on installing Ubuntu/Fedora/etc on the eeepc I've seen have all recommended making a liveUSB first on another computer, then booting from it on the eeepc, so I think there's a reason behind that, though if you do indeed succeed without using a USB drive, then that's nice to know.

I'll give it a shot next weekend, I have a feeling it may work. The grub menu.lst is in /bot/grub ... I don't know, we'll see. If it works, I'll try to post a minihowto here in ubuntuforums. I could provide also a binary (the statically linked official one fails).

Also, have you thought of including, as part of the documentation, install guides for the most typical cases ? (from Linux HD, Linux USB, Windows HD, Windows USB) Each guide would have a series screenshots, I think this would save enormous time in FAQ. Personally, I got confused on how to install. You could ask people to contribute, you seem to have lots of users

One more thing, a whishlist, wouldn't it be nice, in the future (assuming you have time or someone volunteers), to have an interface that is more like a wizard ?

Re: Howto: Install Ubuntu without a CD

hugo@hugo-laptop:~/Desktop$ ./unetbootin-linux-216
./unetbootin-linux-216: /lib32/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.4' not found (require d by ./unetbootin-linux-216)
hugo@hugo-laptop:~/Desktop$

Originally Posted by tuxcantfly

The latest version is statically linked, so technically it should run without any external libraries, but since you're using Ubuntu 64-bit, try installing the package "ia32-libs" (which will give you 32-bit libraries for running 32-bit applications) and try again.

Also try running it from the command line if it doesn't run even with ia32-libs installed.

Also perhaps use the command "chmod +x ./unetbootin-linux-216" prior to running it, in case it wasn't made executable when you tried setting the permissions via the GUI.

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